1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to suction accumulator structures and methods and refers more specifically to a suction accumulator having a suction tube therein for discharging gaseous phase change material therefrom and including a hollow coil spaced between the outside diameter of the suction tube and the inside diameter of the suction accumulator body through which a heated heat transfer medium may be passed to vaporize liquid phase change material within the accumulator prior to discharge thereof and a method including positioning a hollow coil around and in spaced relation to a suction tube in a suction accumulator and passing a heated heat transfer medium therethrough whereby liquid phase change material within the accumulator is vaporized prior to discharge from the suction accumulator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, suction accumulators have been provided for use in refrigeration systems and the like in which systems a gaseous, phase change material is passed into an outer tank and is subsequently removed therefrom through an elongated suction tube one end of which opens into the tank adjacent the top of the tank and the other end of which tube ultimately passes out of the tank top. One such suction accumulator is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,177, issued to the inventor of the present invention. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,177 is included herein by reference.
As specified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,177 in refrigeration systems, without suction accumulators, during the system off cycle large quantities of liquid may find their way into the compressor which can cause serious damage to the compressor and greatly impede the efficiency of the refrigeration system.
With the use of a suction accumulator, in such systems a phase change material such as a refrigerant has in the past been collected in the accumulator and slowly metered to the compressor. Controlled metering protects the compressor against undue shock resulting from large amounts of liquid phase change material being suddenly injected into the compressor from the suction tube.
The metering also prevents liquid refrigerant from forcing the oil out of the bearings of the compressor causing bearing wash-out, ultimately resulting in the bearings and compressor motor burning out.
Often in prior art suction accumulators a small opening is provided in the bottom of the suction tube whereby small amounts of liquid refrigerant are metered into the exhaust tube from the accumulator tank. Such metering reduces the possibility of damage to the compressor due to large slugs of liquid refrigerant being passed thereto.